Debary Center Will Preserve Spirit

Opinion - My WORD

April 14, 2002|By Carmen Rosamonda

When I was on the DeBary City Council in 1994, the city's first year of incorporation, we had our first community visioning session. One of our long-term priorities was to maintain DeBary's small-town atmosphere, which I strongly support. With the rate and direction of growth, keeping such an atmosphere in DeBary was going to be a challenge. We urgently needed to put policies in place to manage growth and develop the necessary city infrastructure.

Once I was elected mayor in August 1999, I began researching towns such as DeLand, New Smyrna Beach, Mount Dora and Lakeland, and I found that the key component of a community with a small-town atmosphere is that people knew each other. The size of the community was not as much a factor as the opportunity for residents to play, work and socialize together. City governments created opportunities by developing "gathering places," providing public programs and fostering community events specifically designed to bring people together.

When my mayoral term began in January 2000, I shared with the council and residents my vision on what DeBary needed to maintain our small-town atmosphere -- a traditional town village center, a sports complex, high school and preservation of our history and cultural arts. The communitywide support of this vision has been tremendous.

Right now, we are working on a key component, a town village center to be on the southeast corner of Dirksen Drive and U.S. Highway 17-92. Steve Costa, the property owner, came to us with a site plan to develop the property into a typical, modern-day strip center, which will allow for a grocery store, retail stores, out-parcels and approximately 300 clustered apartments. We were unhappy with the design and potential problems associated with clustered apartments.

Using consultants, we began negotiations with Mr. Costa to change the site plan into a neo-traditional town village similar to the areas we enjoy, such as downtown DeLand, Mount Dora, Park Avenue in Winter Park and Winter Park Village. Today, we have reached consensus on a town village design that will provide space for professional offices, privately owned specialty stores and restaurants, and a grocery store. It will include townhomes to purchase, no more than 200 upscale apartments to rent, a central park and a permanent site for a city hall and fire station. Our design also includes awnings, antique lighting, wide sidewalks, parking on the street and excellent landscaping.

The final details are being negotiated, including the city's sharing some of the project's construction costs. Because of the neo-traditional design and improved quality of the plan, the infrastructure costs, such as roads, water and sewer lines, and stormwater drainage, have increased. In return for our investment in this project, the city will receive four to five acres for the park, city hall and fire station.

We have turned an average project into something special that will add character and quality to our community. It will benefit us in many ways for years to come. This project will set the architectural standards throughout the city's major corridors. It will improve our small-business environment and provide more goods and services for our residents. Long term, it will provide an excellent revenue source and return on our investment.

The benefits are endless, but more important, it will provide one of those key components of a small town -- a gathering place where everyone knows your name.